The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for monitoring devices and components. In particular, the invention is directed to the system and method in which devices and/or components are maintained or replaced.
Conventional monitoring systems may include a plurality of field devices, e.g., smart field devices, positioned at various locations on a network. The smart field devices may include a processor, and can be temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow rate sensors, valves, switches, etc., or combinations thereof. The smart field devices may be communicatively coupled to each other using an open smart communications protocol. Such open smart communications protocols may include HART(copyright), PROFIBUS(copyright), FOUNDATION(copyright) Fieldbus, etc. These open smart communications protocol enable smart field devices that are manufactured by different manufactures to be used together in the same process. The conventional systems also may include a controller communicatively coupled to each of the smart field devices using the open smart communications protocol. Moreover the controller may include a processor, and can receive data from each of the smart field devices.
In operation, each smart field device may perform a particular function. For example, a temperature sensor may measure a temperature of a liquid, a pressure sensor may measure pressure within a container, a flow rate sensor may measure a flow rate of the liquid, etc. Similarly, valves and switches may open to allow or increase the flow of the liquid, or may close to stop the flow of the liquid or to decrease the flow rate of the liquid. After the smart field devices obtain measurements of various process parameters, or the valves or switches are opened/closed, the smart field devices may communicate with the controller. For example, the smart field devices may forward the data to the controller, and the controller can implement a control procedure based on the received data.
Moreover, the smart field devices, the controller, or both, may be adapted to detect existing problems associated with the smart field devices. For example, the smart field device can measure instantaneous temperatures and/or instantaneous flow rates of a fluid, and may store the temperatures and flow rates in a database. The smart field devices can also continuously calculate an average fluid temperature or an average fluid flow rate, and compare the most recently measured temperature or flow rate to the average fluid temperature or flow rate, respectively. When the efficiency of the smart field device decreases, the most recently measured temperature or flow rate may be substantially less than or greater than the average temperature or flow rate, respectively. When the smart field device detects this deviation, it forwards the data to the controller, and the controller reports the existence of the problem to a computer system. Subsequently, the smart field device may be replaced and/or maintenance can be performed on the smart field device.
Nevertheless, such systems only depend on the data associated with the performance of the smart field device to determine whether to replace or perform maintenance on the smart field device. Consequently, problems with the smart field device arise before the maintenance is performed on the smart field device, or before the smart field device is replaced, or both.
Therefore, a need has arisen to provide a system and method for monitoring devices and components which overcome the above-described and other shortcomings of the conventional systems and methods. One of the advantages of the present invention is that data associated with the performance of the field device and/or data collected independent of the performance of the field device can be used to determine whether to replace or perform maintenance on the field device. For example, when the amount of time (that the field device has been in operation) is greater than a predetermined value, this data can be forwarded to a computer system. Consequently, such computer system may instruct the field device to be replaced, or can require maintenance to be performed on the field device before problems arise associated with the field device.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for monitoring a device or component are provided. In particular, a controller is communicatively coupled to at least one field device, and a computer system is communicatively coupled to the controller. For example, the at least one field device may be a smart field device, and the controller may communicate with the smart field device using an open smart communications protocol, e.g., Foundation Fieldbus protocol, PROFIBUS protocol, etc. Moreover, the controller and/or the field device may be adapted to transmit monitoring data associated with the field device to the computer system when an amount of time that the field device has been in operation is greater than a predetermined value. Alternatively, a server may be communicatively coupled to the computer system, such that the server is adapted to access the monitoring data, and transmit a request for a replacement field device and/or a recommendation that maintenance be performed on the field device independent of a performance of the field device.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the field device may be a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a valve, a switch, etc. Also, the monitoring data may include values associated with temperature, pressure, flow rate, the amount of time that the field device has been in operation, a position of the valve, a position of the switch, etc. Moreover, the controller and/or the field device may be adapted to compare an instantaneous temperature, pressure or flow rate with an average temperature, pressure or flow rate, respectively. The controller also may be adapted to transmit the monitoring data to the computer system when the difference between the instantaneous temperature, pressure or flow rate and the average temperature, pressure or flow rate, respectively, is greater than a predetermined value.